Former Cape leader calls out current council

CAPE CORAL, Fla. -

A current Cape Coral council member threw around some serious accusations in an e-mail we obtained. Chris Chulakes-Leetz called former council member Dolores Bertolini "pathetic" -- and even accused her of breaking state law.

The exchange followed Bertolini's scathing letter to council about city leaders' behavior in chambers last week. At an argumentative UEP meeting, Chulakes-Leetz claimed his colleague John Carioscia pointed to his crotch during a dispute. Bertolini told us, when she voiced her disgust in an e-mail to leaders, Chulakes-Leetz went after her dead husband.

"Mr. Chulakes-Leetz has really wounded me and perhaps that is what he wanted to do," Bertolini said.

She said she wrote the email to council to express concern over the civil discourse. She said such heated exchanges threaten the Cape's image with potential businesses and people interested in the area. In the email, which we verified with the city clerk, Chulakes-Leetz responded "and all of this from a woman who violated state voting law by allowing someone in her household to cast a mail ballot for her declared mentally incompetent spouse."

He went on to misspell Bertolini's name and said, "You are pathetic Doloores, you have no ethics or morals so quit before I publish the facts."

"I believe the councilman needs to be reigned in, he has to be reigned in," Bertolini said.

Chulakes-Leetz declined an on-camera interview Monday. He said he didn't have time in his schedule. When asked about Bertolini, Chulakes-Leetz responded, "She's my former opponent and hasn't gotten over her significant defeat."

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